This blog began in 2009, and the posts come to you from the mouths of characters in the books. I've added my own thoughts too, in case you're interested. Cool, huh?! Older posts are a little different but should be equally interesting and helpful in finding good books. Click on the link below for posts about more realistic novels.

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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

This book is the second in The 39 Clues series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Amy and Dan continue their adventure into Austria and Italy as they follow clues involving the life of Mozart. They discover three missing lines to one of his musical pieces but don't understand the importance. They travel to museums and homes where Mozart once stayed, and they have several conflicts with other members of the Cahill family, of course. Once again, there are fires and cave-ins, and they find themselves in a boat chase through the canals of Venice. The contest to solve the mystery of the 39 clues continues, with the prize being a fortune that will make the owner the most powerful person in the world.This book is very similar in style to the first book. The children pursue clues in foreign countries and are threatened by other members of the family seeking the hidden treasure. The plot is pretty basic and easy to read, but I fear that I need something different and challenging to keep my interest. The similarities in the first two books make the plot fairly predictable, although there are a couple of surprises. I don't think I'll be reading more of the series, but many of my students love it. Just because the style doesn't work for me doesn't mean the books can't be enjoyable to others.